


Dinner and a movie, how does that sound?

by fuannotane



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Communication Failure, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Humor, M/M, Medical Trauma, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:14:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29282055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuannotane/pseuds/fuannotane
Summary: After Asura's defeat, these two old men have nothing better to do except go on dates with each other. Trouble is, Stein doesn't know they're dates, and Spirit doesn't know that Stein doesn't know. (Post-anime)
Relationships: Spirit Albarn | Death Scythe/Franken Stein
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	Dinner and a movie, how does that sound?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [misura](https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/gifts).



"For me? My, my. You shouldn't have." Spirit's shoulders relaxed slightly at the pleasant surprise in Stein's voice. Muted, hardly audible, but definitely there.

"Well of course," Spirit said, blood rushing to his face in relief. "After all..." He trailed off. Spirit watched as Stein turned over the bouquet in his hands, examining it like a field specimen. A dozen red roses. Spirit was certainly not ashamed of his occasional romantic outbursts, fits of passion as he liked to think of them, and only occasionally regretful of his impulse buys; but now, seeing Stein scrutinize this one with his colorless gaze, Spirit did start to wish he'd shown up with a plan. A little more foresight, something more thought out than, y'know, stop by the flower cart, walk up to Patchwork Lab, knock on the door, hand him the bunch. 

Damn it, and now he was _counting_ them? Sure, Stein was tactless - _This_ tactless? Before Spirit could comment, Stein had jogged the roses into a neat bundle like one would straighten a stack of papers, said, "Perfect! Just enough," and retreated into the darkness of his lab. "Oooone moment," he called behind him. 

Sighing, Spirit peered inside. The lab's foyer was as gloomy as ever. You'd think the guy would take some time to spice the space up a bit, you know, install some lightbulbs so he wasn't tripping over his chair all the time. Put up a nice wall clock, get rid of the creepy arrows going everywhere…

Well, that's what Spirit would do, if only Stein were to give him a hack at it. Thinking about it more, Marie had certainly been trying, so if this was the most she could get Stein to accept, Spirit's own prospects felt grim. Wait, why was he thinking about this right now? It wasn't like he was going to move in or anything. "I'm coming in!" 

It took a few minutes to track down Stein. Despite Spirit following the echoes of the footsteps he knew so well, he almost got lost a couple times, reaching junctures in the drab uniformly gray hallways and having to rely on a faint sense of Stein's soul wavelength. When he'd come here before, he relied on Stein leading him around, or giving him brief instructions on how to find, say, the bathroom in this labyrinthine place Stein called a lab. God, how he wished the guy would just put up direction labels on the walls. Another thing he'd change if he got a say in it. 

Was that a slicing sound? Stein's footsteps seemed to end beyond this door. Past it, something wet, toothy, the sound of a knife going through leafy matter. The kitchen door swung open, and the smell of freshly crushed rose petals invaded Spirit's nostrils. Stein was standing there in the darkness, facing away from the door, chopping something methodically, repetitively. On his right, the pile of rose stems, stripped of their petals. On the range, dimly lit by a yellowy overhead light and the gas flame underneath, a steaming saucepan of something. On the counter by the range, a clutter of beakers, glass chemistry apparatus, pots, pans. In the trash, the bouquet wrapping paper Spirit had painstakingly picked out. 

" _Stein!_ Franken Stein! That- was- a- _GIFT!_ " Spirit hollered. 

Stein turned to look at him, expression innocent. "Yes, a gift for me. I can do what I want with a gift, right?" Spirit sputtered impotently. "I'm making rose simple syrup. Lately I've found that I've become interested in baking, in particular scents and flavors. Smell is a rather understudied sense... It defies categorization and systematic understanding. For example-"

"What day is it, Stein?!" Spirit howled. 

"Uhhh... Tuesday?" Stein said. 

"What _date_ ," Spirit said, hysterical. 

"February?" 

"The _date_ , you--" 

Stein paused. "It's the 14th," he said, limply. "The 15th? I haven't been outside the lab in a week, so I'm not sure..."

" _It's Valentine's Day,_ " Spirit shouted.

"... Oh," Stein said. "... Ohhhh." 

"Yes, now you finally get it," Spirit said, pacing around on the grimy tile. "Oh, I should've just said it," he muttered. "Why didn't I just..." Spirit gestured vaguely. 'Happy Valentine's Day, Stein!' I should've just opened the door and said that, it's such a simple thing. I suppose I..." He faltered. "Well, I don't know, I didn't know how you'd take it. I was probably scared, or something, I don’t know."

Stein was staring at him. The fluorescent light was catching on his glasses and making it impossible to see for sure, but Stein was definitely staring at him. Unbearable. "Never mind," Spirit said, with a dismissive wave. "You're already cutting up the roses. I just thought, that MAYBE, for Valentine's Day, I could show up with some flowers, and we could eat somewhere nice for dinner. I even left Maka with Blair for the evening, actually she might be off somewhere with Crona. But anyway, if you had other things planned, don't let me stop you!" 

"Valentine's Day is for couples," Stein said flatly.

Spirit turned around slowly. "And we're not... A couple?" Stein looked like he was about to say something, then stopped. "Stein. Come ON! We've had sex _how_ many times now--"

"As people do," Stein said.

"We've been going out for _dinner_ since--" 

"I really wanted tilapia," Stein said back.

"Why else would I show up on your doorstep with a dozen red roses?!" 

Stein shrugged. "I thought you knew I was experimenting with cooking lately. I was surprised, I didn't expect you to be so perceptive."

"Why you..." 

"Anyway. I'm incapable of love. We've been over this," Stein said, looking down and fussing with his screw. 

Spirit furrowed his brows. "Would you call what we've been doing 'love?'" 

"No," Stein replied immediately. 

"Well, then it’s no problem! Because I wanted to keep things like this. At least for now."

"How does… This makes no sense," Stein muttered. "I experimented on you. You reminded me the first day you saw me back." 

Spirit huffed. “Would I really keep offering up my body to you if I was still afraid of that? And you can see my soul, can’t you now? I’m not lying!” 

"The body is one thing, a heart's another," Stein said, looking away. "... You said you still had nightmares. You've said this many times, actually." 

"That's my deal to worry about, isn't it? Just don't get near me when I’m asleep, you’ve been good about that so far." Spirit paused. "And if I find myself having weird... Symptoms, of any kind, you're in big trouble. But until then! If I wanted you to atone somehow, I'd let you know."

The corner of Stein's mouth twitched. "Unfortunately I can't un-chop these roses." 

"You could buy _me_ flowers," Spirit offered. "And not roses, that's too easy," he added. "Why don't you try to pick something else you think I'd like? Something special. And then we can go on a date. Dinner and a movie. How does that sound?"

**Author's Note:**

> i hope i got the tone right both for the verse and the characters! feedback welcomed, about the pacing as well :)! im a manga-only actually and its been so long since i read SE... thank you for the prompt, it was a lot of fun!


End file.
